1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to user interface display changes and in particular to changing the current display language in a user interface. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to employing system messages to alter a display language in a user interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multinational companies often run information system (IS) networks which span multiple regions spread around the globe. To maximize the usefulness of such networks, operations within each region tend to run in the local language of the region. Where possible, names of abstract objects in user applications are in the local language and match the local language organization, city, or human names which the abstract objects represent. In the case of system management software, often abstract objects would represent each of a global enterprise""s local offices.
Central management of such a global network may be difficult or impossible when abstract object names utilize the local language and the local language""s underlying character set. For offices located in Egypt, abstract objects would most naturally be named in Arabic; offices in Russia would name objects utilizing the Cyrillic character set; and for offices in Japan, objects would be named in Japanese. A problem arises, however, when a enterprise""s headquarters IS staff attempts to examine these objects. The IS staff at the multinational headquarters located in the United States is unlikely to be able to read Arabic or Japanese, or even recognize Cyrillic characters.
Japanese, for example, is a logosyllabic or ideographic language which does not have an alphabet representing simple sounds, but instead has a very large character set with symbols (xe2x80x9cideographsxe2x80x9d) corresponding to concepts and objects rather than simple sounds. For instance, the Joyo Kanji List (Kanji for Daily Use) adopted for the Japanese language in 1981 includes 1945 symbols. Users unfamiliar with the Kanji characters will have difficulty identifying a particular abstract object named in Japanese, as well as difficulty even discussing such abstract objects over the telephone with an English- and Japanese-speaking counterpart.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a mechanism for remotely initiating global change of the display language within a user interface. It would further be advantageous for the mechanism to effect global change during run-time operation of a system without requiring the system to be restarted.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved method, system and computer program product for user interface display changes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method, system and computer program product for changing the current display language in a user interface.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method, system and computer program product for employing system messages to alter a display language in a user interface.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. Language, locale, and display change system messages are defined which contain language or locale codes for changing a display language in a user interface. An operating system language or locale property may be altered, or merely the language and/or locale property of a user interface for a specific application or dialog. When received, all subscribers registered as listeners for such language, locale, and display change system messages are notified. The system message may originate from a control dialog or from another application, and may be passed from one application to another or to dialogs associated with the receiving application. User interface dialogs or applications notified of the system message may reload the contents of displays, updating the user interface display to contain the contents of menu labels, help text, or dialog messages in the new human language or display text formatted accordance with the new cultural convention. The system message thus permits a run-time change of the display language employed for a user interface. This in turn enables remote support by users employing different languages, setting user interface display languages based on user preference, and temporary transactional language switching.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.